Tube-cleaner.



A. F. FRoussARn.

v TUBE CLEANER. APPLlcATxoN FILED 056.11. 1914.

1,161,122. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

[NVE/V TOR. /14 55,427 f.' @ausm/ 20,

PAT la; om@

ALBERT F. FROUSSARCD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TUBE-CLEANER.

Application led December 11, 1914. Serial No. 876,730.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. FnoiissARD, a citizen of the United States of America. residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Tube-Cleaner, of which thefollowing is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art` to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to tube cleanersv and, more particularly, to acleaner adapted to clean simultaneously a pluralitjy of condenser tubes or water tubes for boilers.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a cleaner of the class indicated which will be simple in yconstruction and efficient in operation. n

A further object of my invention is to provide means for adjusting the cleaner rods so that a single cleaner may be adapted to clean tubes having their centers different distances apart. I i v In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of tube cleaner made in accordance with my invention, Figure 1 is a section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is av section taken on the line 2-'-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view vshowing the manner of discharging water from the cleaner rods into the tubes to be cleaned, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the filling pieces rfor adjustingthe cleaner rods.

Like marks of reference refer to similar parts'in the several views of the drawings.

isa base plate which has an upwardly extending part 11 forming one side of a housing. The opposite side of the housing is formed by a part 12secured to the base.

plate 10 by means of bolts 13. Carried on the base plate 10 is a motor 14 provided with a. gear wheel 15 meshing with a gear wheel 16 mounted on the end of a short driving shaft 17. This driving shaft 17 is jour- 1 bearings 22 are arranged in slots 23 which are concentric `with the axis of the driving shaft 17 in order to allow adjustment of the rods to accommodate the machine to tubes having their centers different distances apart. Placed in the slots 23 are filling pieces 24 of the form best shown in Fig. 5. By shifting these .pieces from one end to the other of the slots 23, 'it will be evident that the bearings, and Vconsequently the tool shafts, will be thrown farther apart or nearer together so as to accommodate the machine to differently spaced tubes and, at the same time, the wheels` will remain in mesh with the wheel 19. Set screws 25 are used to hold the bearings and filling pieces firmly in position. The iilling pieces 24 also serve to completely fill the slots 23 and, by the use of endl pieces 26, the housing supporting the driving shaft and the ends of the tool rods is formed into a grease box which may be filled with grease to lubricate the wheels 19 and 20. A top piece 27 is also preferably used to strengthen the housing. This piece 27 is secured in position by bolts 28. The body30 of each ofthe tool rods is formed of a hollow bar and is secured in the ends of the short shaft 21 by means of trans# verse pins 31 vand spring detents 32. The vrods 30 pass Athrougha water box formed yof two castings 33and 34. Stuiiing boxes 35 are provided to form a water tight joint between thecastings and the rods 30. The casting 33 has formed on it a hollow projecting portion 36,v shown in Fig. 3, which projection 'passes through a boss 37 so as to connect the two castings 33 and 34. A stuffying box 38 forms a water tight joint between the projection 36 and the boss 37. The water isfled-into'the `casing 34 by lmeans of a flexible tube 39. The `casting 33 is provided 'with an L-sha'ped arm 40, the downwardly extending projecting portion of which is provided with a slot 41 through which4 passes a bolt42. This bolt 42 also passes through a lateral slot 43 in the plate 11. By loosening 4this bolt, the arm 40 can be adjusted both vertically and horizontally to correspond with the adjustment of one of the tool rods 30. The sliding connection between the projection 36 and the boss 37 allows the two castings 33 and 34 to be separated to correspond with the separation of vthe rods 30 when the adjustment is made.

A tool 45 of any suitable construction, adapted to enter the tube 46, is secured to Y The operation j of my'clean'er Will be evident.' 'vl`he.tvvo'cleaner 3 0 are adjusted properv distance by shifting the fillingypiejces 24 froin one end to the Vother of the slots 2 3. At the'sa'me time', thejbolt 42 is looseiied so as" toalliv the' castings. 33` and 34 to be correspondingly adjusted. After y vthe adjustment is made,the bolt 42 as Well Y as the set screws 25 rare tightened to hold the parts firmly iliposition. Motion is imparted to" the driving shaft 17 by the Ino'tor 14v so astov rotate' the iofds '30' and, therefore, Athe 'tool 4.5 At the salme time, Water is admitted thro'tughtlie tool ro'ds 30 and discharged in a forward ir'ection so ,as to be` supplied to theftoo'ls 45". I Y It will be .evident that' my device is very simple in construction and extremely strong, it may be readily adapted to tubes 'f varying ,sizes Llly descrbed'myiinventori, what I claim 'as vvand desire tosoujre by Let'- trsrPatent of the United States isf;

' In a tabecleanr, the' combination with driving shaft, ,of a gear wheel carried by Y 4ksaid shaft, a plir'ality of cleaner rods, a

Athis patentinay be obtaiirdfor gear vvhe'elcarried by each of said cleaner enga'ging the periphery of said irs'tnamd igear Wheel, and means for adjusting the Icleaner rods aiidtlieir gear Wheels4 relativelyy to" the' :gear ivhfe'el on said drivingshaft whereby ai@ @lesser may be adapted to -diderently spaced tubes. :n l 2,. In atub'efvcleanenthe combination with shaft, a pliirality of cleaner. rods, fa vgear ivhe'el carried each of said cleaner rods meshing with thugear Wheel on said driving and means fdr-.adjusting the `cleanei'rrds and their gear vvlieels rela'- tive to the gear Wheel on said driving shaft ina path concentric With the axis thereof whereby the cleaner may be adapted to differently spaced tubes.

3. In a tube cleaner, the combination with a driving shaft, of a gear Wheel carried by said shaft, a plurality of cleaner rods, a gear Wheel on each of said cleaner rods and meshing with said first named gear wheel, a pair of plates in which said driving shaft and cleaner rods are journaled, said plates forming between them a. wheel space, and means for closing the bottom and end of said vvheel space.

4. In a tube cleaner, the combination with a driving shaft, of a gear Wheel carried by said shaft, a plurality of cleaner rods, a gear Wheel on each of said cleaner rods and meshing With said first named gear wheel, a housing provided With slots concentric With said driving shaft, and filling pieces in said slotsV for adjusting the bearings of said cleaner rods to adapt the same to differently spaced tubes.

5. In a tube cleaner, the combination with a frame', of a plurality of cleaner rods carried thereby, means for driving said rods, said rods being adjustable to adapt them to differently spaced tubes, a bracket adjustably carried on said frame, Water boxes for said rods carried by said bracket, and means for adjusting said Water boxes.

6. In a tube cleaner, the combination with a frame comprising an integral base and bearing plates, a second bearing plate socured' to saidvbase platev and forming with said first named bearing plate a gear box, cleaner rods carried in said bearing plates and having gear situated in said gear box, a driving shaft also journaled in said bearing plates, provided with agear meshing of said first named gear, and means for closing the ends of said gear box.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in the presence of the tivo subscribing witnesses.

j ,j ALBERT 1i. raoussiiw.

Witnesses:

W. A. ALEXANDER, G. M. SHORE.

an Si fivey cents eacii, by addressing" the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

